Natasha Lomas
Writer
The Latest from Natasha Lomas
EU lawmakers to push audio-visual sector on geoblocking
European Union lawmakers are considering whether current rules aimed at limiting the practice of geoblocking across the bloc should be extended to cover access to streaming audio-visual content. Acces
Apple on the hook for €10M in Italy, accused of misleading users about iPhone water resistance
Apple’s marketing of iPhones as ‘water resistant’ without clarifying the limits of the feature and also having a warranty that excludes cover for damage by liquids has got the compan
UK shrinks timetable for telcos to stop installing 5G kit from Huawei
The UK government has squeezed the timetable for domestic telcos to stop installing 5G kit from Chinese suppliers, per the BBC, which reports that the deadline for installation of kit from so-called &
No Google-Fitbit merger without human rights remedies, says Amnesty to EU
Human rights NGO, Amnesty International, has written to the EU’s competition regulator calling for Google’s acquisition of wearable maker Fitbit to be blocked — unless meaningful saf
UK to set up ‘pro-competition’ regulator to put limits on big tech
The U.K. is moving ahead with a plan to regulate big tech, responding to competition concerns over a “winner-takes-all” dynamic in digital markets. It will set up a new Digital Market Unit
Facebook’s latest ad tool fail puts another dent in its reputation
Reset yer counters: Facebook has had to ‘fess up to yet another major ad reporting fail. This one looks like it could be costly for the tech giant to put right — not least because it’
GDPR enforcement must level up to catch big tech, report warns
A new report by European consumer protection umbrella group Beuc, reflecting on the barriers to effective cross-border enforcement of the EU’s flagship data protection framework, makes awkward r
Europe sets out the rules of the road for its data reuse plan
European Union lawmakers have laid out a major legislative proposal today to encourage the reuse of industrial data across the Single Market by creating a standardized framework of trusted tools and t
F3, a Stories-style Q&A app for Gen Z teens, raises $3.9M
F3, an anonymous Q&A app targeting Gen Z teens which blends a Tinder-style swipe-to-friend gamification mechanic, Stories-esque rich media responses and eye-wateringly expensive subscriptions to u
Europe’s data strategy aims to tip the scales away from big tech
Google wants to organize the world’s information but European lawmakers are in a rush to organize the local digital sphere and make Europe “the most data-empowered continent in the world&#
Gift Guide: 22 STEM toy gift ideas for every little builder
In 2020, parents and guardians are super spoilt for choice in the STEM toys gift department — which is great news in the midst of a pandemic that’s supercharging homeschooling needs. The c
Uber refused permission to dismiss 11 staff at its EMEA HQ
Uber has been refused permission to dismiss 11 people at its EMEA headquarters in Amsterdam by the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), the ride-hailing company has confirmed. The affected individua
Brexit’s data compliance burden could cost UK firms up to £1.6BN, says think tank
An analysis of the total cost to U.K. businesses if the country fails to gain an adequacy agreement from the European Commission once it leaves the bloc at the end of the year — creating barrier
Digital marketing firms file UK competition complaint against Google’s Privacy Sandbox
Google’s push to phase out third party tracking cookies — aka its ‘Privacy Sandbox’ initiative — is facing a competition challenge in Europe. A coalition of digital marke
Xesto is a foot-scanning app that simplifies shoe gifting
You wait ages for foot-scanning startups to help with the tricky fit issue that troubles online shoe shopping and then two come along at once: Launching today in time for Black Friday sprees is Xesto
Neatsy wants to reduce sneaker returns with 3D foot scans
U.S.-based startup Neatsy AI is using the iPhone’s depth-sensing FaceID selfie camera as a foot scanner to capture 3D models for predicting a comfortable sneaker fit. Its app, currently soft lau
How four European cities are embracing micromobility to drive out cars
The coronavirus pandemic is acting as a catalyst for urban transformation across Europe as city authorities grapple with how to manage urban mobility without risking citizens’ health or inviting gri
UK to invest in AI and cyber as part of major defense spending hike
The UK has announced a massive boost in defense spending — £16.5 billion ($21.8BN) over four years, the biggest such spending bump for 30 years — in what prime minister Boris Johnson has
Go Jauntly applies AI to seek scale via ‘greener’ walking routes
Unless you’ve been on very extended digital detox, you’ll have noticed algorithms don’t exactly have the greatest reputation these days, saddled as they are with pervasive questions
Apple’s IDFA gets targeted in strategic EU privacy complaints
A unique device identifier that Apple assigns to each iPhone for third parties to track users for ad targeting — aka the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) — is itself now the target of two